Keene Law Enforcers Use Violence to Shut Down “Live Free or Dance”

A peaceful and fun evening for the Keene community devolved into chaos when law enforcers, employed by the city of Keene, showed up to make threats and eventually kidnapped three people, Ryan Maddox, Roz and Derrick Freeman.

I was in Central Square to dance but instead my evening was spent livestreaming the violence that is unfortunately becoming more commonplace with militant law enforcers “just doing their jobs.” I was able to broadcast the following seven video playlist live:

Police interrupted the celebration in Central Square at around 10:15. According to Jason Repsher, “The music had only been playing for a minute and it wasn’t very loud.” [Video: Live Free or Dance Begins Peacefully] Keene native Jacqueline Lemieux commented on a Keene law enforcer’s claim that “a citizen complained” about the noise:

That is a flat out lie. The music had just been turned on and I was walking in front of The Stage and over towards the common and was not able to hear any music at all until I arrived a few feet from the gazebo. KPD is quickly developing a habit of lying and abusing its public and I will not stand for it!

Jason Repsher stated in the description of the video he recorded (below) that:

The cops make up a story that they were called because of a complaint and the cops insist on permits and licensing in order to play music in the park. The cops wanted someone to claim the equipment so they could check ID.

Repsher continues:

The cops knew it wasn’t his, but apparently the kid had gotten into trouble earlier in the night and they wanted a reason to arrest this kid. After the kid was arrested and hauled off, the cops proceed to take it upon themselves to seize the equipment. At which point, Derrick Freeman, Ryan Maddox and Roz get arrested in the attempt to prevent the property from being stolen by the Keene PD (for holding onto the property while the cops pry it away). After Derrick Freeman is handcuffed one of the officers maces and puts him in the patrol car. In the video you can see the officer shake his pepper spray at which point two officers come over and attempt to block my video.

When you watch the above video take note of how at least two law enforcers shine their flashlights at cameras just before Derrick gets maced. It seems obvious that they were attempting to censor the recording of their violent colleague. It’s unknown if this technique is taught during their training, is department policy or just the actions of two law enforcers who want to hide their aggressive actions from the public.

1. Police show up on a noise complaint and inform people to tear down the lights, speakers, etc and not use city power.
2. Police ask who owns the equipment. Nobody answers.
3. After a while, random other guy (non-activist) claims to own them. He is arrested.
4. Police come to confiscate said equipment under the baseless claim that random guy owns it.
5. Derrick contests the claim, saying he owns it, and does not let the police take it.

All three were eventually released after many hours in solitary confinement. There are reports that Derrick was able to continue the dance party at the Cheshire County House of Corrections for four hours. He was able to eventually able to return home to shower out the mace before going to work. Stay tuned for more information about future court dates and danceobedience.

So let me get this straight, LPViper lives 600 miles away from Keene, has probably never met anyone here, and posts opinions about what's going on in Keene based on the propaganda from this blog. The only failure in logic I see around here is the Freekeene Cheerleader David (village idiot) of Keene who fails to see how much of a tool he's being and "some guy" who found the "Internets" and now feels compelled to give opinions on incidents he's read about on a propaganda blog, and is also failing to see how much of a tool he's being. Did you ever think that the "news" you're being fed is tainted and deceptive? Seeing as how you're 600miles away, wouldn't logic say that your opinion is of little value because you can't tell the difference between what is truthful and what is false. If you weren't aware, the video, text, and images you see on your screen can be prepared in a way as to hide certain information. The media does this, even "Liberty media".

If the Keene police really were so bad, you'd see people committing the same kinds of actions against them.

Speaking of which, I know of people who say that FK and their "civ-dis activism" are the reason they're never setting foot in Keene once they're in NH. They know what a bad rap they have and thus want nothing to do with them.

Im not the same person as "David Keene" i actually agree with everything you said on here so im not sure if your trying to say im a troll trying to make you look bad. Im NOT. What do you mean by "worse impressions"

david-keene: I would think so. The only way the FSP/FK could ever turn NH into a right-libertarian paradise would be by "removing" (and I use that term loosely) a good portion of NH's current residents who hold statist views.

I am a big advocate of troll feeding. It always puts logic against illogic, and since I am always on the side of logic, I get to win and the other guy gets to insult me or change the subject, but he never gets to make a substantive point because he NEVER HAS ONE.

The biggest things to watch are anger and name calling. No one can resist them completely but they never ever help.

I call myself an ANARXIST, a MARXIST ANARCHIST. I like your civil disobedience but i dont know why you like your 'property' so much. SMASH the 'property' concept, SMASH corporations, and SMASH the concept of the economy all together. Thats why i call myself an ANARXIST

You wouldn't even know who I was if I was in your town, shithead. I don't go around bullhorning people or smoking pot in the city park. I've made that clear here. I am a quiet and respectful neighbor. I just don't approve of people being caged like they are dangerous when nobody even has a LEGITIMATE GOSHDAMN COMPLAINT!

And you, David, you are such a fucking busybody that you even try to boss people around on somebody else's web site, who live 600 and more miles away!

And by the way, O Ye of Inaccurate Syntax, I am not 'involved', I am visiting a web site (owned by someone whom you philisophically OPPOSE), consuming the content, and providing my opinion because I want to. That's not 'involvement', K? That's blogging or commenting or whatever it is. Not involved. And yet YOU, you trolls, backed into your little corner of no logic, your cognitive dissonance lashes out with 'YOU DON'T LIVE HERE SO SHUT UP!!!!!!'

Lame. Laughable, even. Sometimes I'm actually glad you people are here, because the contrast between SENSE and NONSENSE is quite striking.

2nd: If you believe someone who has murdered/assisted in murder in the past is just a hunky-dory kind of guy then why don’t you go on a little hike with Mark sometime to an undisclosed, secluded location. I’m sure he’d be willing to show you his fancy high powered air rifle, which can fire quietly and take out a deer.

1st: Ha ha did you copy off David's paper? You guys should have different inbox's for the day's lines of shit, so you don't get them mixed up.

2nd: I have a sense about people. Mark Edgington is a good man, and if he wanted to go shooting with me (which would be ILLEGAL because serving your damn jail time isn't enough for the meddlers in this country), I would be happy too. Any claim you want to make that Mark is anything like the retarded kid he was 23 years ago will only serve to prove what an ass you are.

Once again you are totally right. The police officer did say that if they just shut it down then everything would be fine. Maybe if those newbie freekeeners weren't so busy antagonizing the officer they might have paid attention to what he was saying. I also wonder, was alcohol consumed prior to this event? It seems like the aggressive yelling that I saw exhibited in normally quiet individuals hinted at the presence of alcohol.

@LPviper

1st: You do not live in Keene so why are you even involved?

2nd: If you believe someone who has murdered/assisted in murder in the past is just a hunky-dory kind of guy then why don't you go on a little hike with Mark sometime to an undisclosed, secluded location. I'm sure he'd be willing to show you his fancy high powered air rifle, which can fire quietly and take out a deer.

@david-keene

Why are you such a cheerleader for this blog and its owner? What has the FreeKeene crowd ever done for you?

So the cop knows it's wrong, admits he doesn't want to do it, does it anyway, and it's the arrestee's fault? And get the fuck out freeweenies, too?

What the hell are you on, Bradford? Why should anybody 'play ball' or 'cheek peck' or give this guy anything but the big MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS JACK that he deserves? Huh? Who's in bed with the MAN, Bradford, huh? Is it you? Suddenly all gtfo freeweenies and whatnot?

At around 2 minutes in, listen to the cop, when he says, "Just shut it down, and we're out of here."....What that means, is, that if the "freeweenies" had just **PLAYED**ALONG**, given the cops a little peck on the cheek (not even "kiss ass", just a little peck on the cheek...), then, the cops would have left, and **NOBODY**WOULD**HAVE**BEEN**ARRESTED**.......At around 3:33, the cop even says, "I really don't want to be here doing this."..........Once again, the "freeweenies" brought this shit on *YOURSELVES*

I'll admit I made up the term. I intended it to mean "the deliberate removal of a group of people from an area based on their political views/orientation" (akin to ethnic cleansing i.e. the Palestinian nakhba).

After someone outs you for murder, it makes it almost impossible to hide it, unless you move somewhere new and change your name... I incorrectly used the present tense when it should have been past tense, as in, he tried to hide it, as in, he did not talk about it on his nationally syndicated radio show until someone else mentioned it.

I guess mark mentioning it on his notionaly syndicated radio show every other week is what you goofy ass calls :hiding it".

I heard him mention it JUST LAST NIGHT broadcasted to over 100 radio stations nationwide. And there are listeners as faraway as Australia on internet and satellite radio....If that's is "hiding it" ,then that must mean people who aren't doing that ...What would that make those people?

"So we could start fixing this in a hurry, right? And you have just the man in your community, a man named Mark Edgington, who could do this, and I think, do it successfully.

Liberty needs a Sheriff.

The Sheriff was the man who prevented injustice and locked up thieves and murderers and rapists and vandals, remember him?"

You do know that Mark Edge was imprisoned for involvement in the murder of another human being, right? He tries to hide it but luckily someone outed him. It makes you wonder what other things Ian and him are hiding...

"Ahh Non Knee Mus" - thank you for having the balls to mention this. I agree completely. I don't see how any of these stunts are supposed to reduce the power of the state, or move towards achieving a stateless society. Most of it seems to either be 1. a way to "expose" the nastiness of the cops (which is a plan of action I would agree with if it was carried out better) or 2. to give Keene the image of a libertarian wonderland for the sole purpose of attracting more movers. Even though I fully agree with demonizing the police, why go after the Keene police? It makes no sense. Go after the Boston police, or the Philly police, or the DC police (police brutality, especially race-related brutality, is quite common in all of those cities). Why go after cops who have nothing else to do in a town of less than 20,000 people that's almost 99% white and middle class? If I had any sympathy for the police I would say that their demonization is unfair and rather pointless.

"Socialist anarchists" want to create a voluntary society by attacking the root of the problem (inequalities of wealth, inequalities of power, social hierarchy, etc.) by non-state direct action and building alternative, democratic institutions with the goal of giving the disenfranchised an equal amount of power to their oppressors'.

"Anarcho"-capitalists and "voluntaryists" want to create a voluntary society by deprivation (i.e. cutting state services that people depend on thinking that "the free market" - whatever that means - will just take over without a problem without using any empirical evidence to prove this. Last time I checked, the source of the state's power wasn't public transport). Rothbard wanted "an"-caps to get into power and start selling away state assets to private investors once in office. I've never heard of any other anarchist advocating that plan of action. You guys might as well call yourselves "capitalist marxists" since Marx wanted to create a stateless society in the same fashion (using the state to abolish the state, which, as Bakunin pointed out so nicely, does not work).

"This does not sound like a terrible idea. Why do you oppose it? An alternative to force-based monopolistic ‘municipal’ services?"

Thanks for unknowingly admitting that the FSP supports "political cleansing" in NH. You've confirmed the suspicions I've held for quite some time.

Why do I oppose it? Because I care about others. If you want to eliminate the state why simply "cut" the jobs? Why not urge the state workers to self-manage and kick the state out themselves? I would say that "cutting" is an act of force. Those workers didn't ask to have their positions cut.

I do what I can to make my life and that of my family better each day, and right now that does not include moving to New Hampshire, or submitting myself as cop-bait and my family to abject poverty, no no. Does that make me cowardly? I don't know, I can only make the choice that keeps me and those I love together, and though it may not be entirely principled to bow when necessary to the masters (threats over dog licensing and moped licensing are some recent battles we have fought by presenting arguments based in principle, and then bowing and paying the quit rent on our pets, under threat of their confiscation and killing. The moped we still are refusing to license, but that game will be up soon, a cop has already pulled me over who did not know the moped law and promised to 'look into it.' So soon we will have to pay that fee as well, as well as a 140 dollar fee we have to pay to run her pickup truck, for a little tiny sticker to put on the back end. ), we take each situation as we can, to stay together and exist in as happy a state as possible.

So no, I won't be coming up there to 'show you how to do it.' I come here and read the content and put a blip on the FK hit count or whatever it is, and I offer my opinion. It has no force, it has no influence other than to be judged by its content, david-keene. There is a term I don't know of that describes your use of words above. It has to do with your refusal to address my implied assertion above that bullhorning and titflashing are going to foster goodwill among all the residents of your area. The thing is, for a behavior to be acceptable, it must be acceptable to the vast majority of people. Passing out fliers, opening an 'office' of sorts to preach ideas of voluntary interaction, picket protests around the jails and courthouses with the liberty related message respectfully spelled out and respectfully delivered, all these are things I find acceptable. I even approved of the vigil outside the police prosecutor's (? correct me if I misremembered this ?) home as I believe that man is, at the very least, woefully ignorant about the idea of PREVENTING INJUSTICE as opposed to 'dispensing "justice"', whatever the hell that means. Justice is simply a lack of injustice. 'Enfocing justice' is an impossible act.

To respect the liberty of Man, an officer of the peace must not 'enforce the law', he must 'keep the peace', or to refer back, he must PREVENT INJUSTICE.

Any of these laws that subject a Man or a Woman to fine or imprisonment, without showing evidence of a Damaged Complaining Party, do NOT serve to prevent injustice. They are in fact committing an unjust act on a fellow man who has caused harm to no one else, who has simply made a choice that is forbidden by a set of books called 'the laws', but which are, in fact, statutes, enforced upon the people by the former keepers of the peace, the master meddlers (eat your hearts out, you meddling kids!), the POLICE Department.

So we could start fixing this in a hurry, right? And you have just the man in your community, a man named Mark Edgington, who could do this, and I think, do it successfully.

Liberty needs a Sheriff.

The Sheriff was the man who prevented injustice and locked up thieves and murderers and rapists and vandals, remember him? Now he has a 'Task Force' and 'Sergeant's and 'Lieutenant's and tanks and machine guns and vans and cars and assault weapons and cages and he's looking for YOU to break the rules, SUBJECT, (that's what he calls you, LISTEN to the scanner!) and take your property, your children, and your freedom (and usually your JOB along with it) from you for the terrible act of growing a plant, or having a piece of it in your pocket, or a bag of powder, or a gun that is a certain size or that fires ammuntion in a certain way. And people put a straight face on and call this 'Justice'. 'Say No To Drugs', DARE, ways to con children into ratting their loved ones out to the takers, who put their mommies and daddies into cages, and them with aunts or uncles or grandparents or even strangers.

This is 'protection'? This is 'service'?

So I see why people become angry and yell and use cuss words, man, do I love me some cuss words, my mama taught me every last one of 'em. I agree with the whole point they are trying to make. I disagree with any punishments being issued them, as 'taxpayers' (extortion victims) will be forced to foot the bill to put up prison laborers that the municipalities and states make another profit from. This is why there are so many prisoners in this country today.

But if some people think you are coming off as jerks, then some people think you are coming off as jerks. A is A.

TKOK, I know that you have lived in Keene for a long time and have the community interests at heart; you are right about the FreeKeeners or Freeniewienies as you called them.

I used to be involved with Free Keene to a certain extent or at least was associated with some individuals who were bloggers on the Free Keene website, since that's all Free Keene really is. I knew many of the "super-activists" very well. I saw the inner workings of this "organization" if you can call it that (its not so much an organization as a loose association). I heard many internal conversations that the ordinary citizens of Keene would never witness, I closely observed the actions of the movers and shakers of Free Keene. I even participated in "activism". After more than two years of this I decided to intentionally disassociate from all things labeled Free Keene.

After seeing events like AnarchoJesse's "community garden", or Rich Paul's topless tuesdays, or someone yelling at downtown shoppers with a bullhorn, I learned that staged confrontational events like this Live Free Or Dance would lead nowhere. I realized that Free Keene is not about creating a libertopia, or voluntary society, or whatever they claim. Why would they choose a city which is the stronghold of government in this area if they were actually trying to get rid of it? Many comments in this thread questioned the effectiveness of this event. You must realize that even though they profess anti-government rhetoric their actions are not designed to reduce the state in any way. If you look at the consequences of Free Keene, look at what they're actually doing instead of what they say, you realize that they are accomplishing very little for the inhabitants of Keene. What is happening is that people are getting arrested. Free Keene propaganda is very successful at encouraging anti-government people to place their face under boot of the state. Potentially productive people are having their energy diverted into avenues where there is little return. There is pressure amongst liberty people to "Do Something". What they are doing is gaining attention. They are gaining negative attention. There is now a negative stigma in Keene for people who are anti-government because of the actions of a few people. Also, the anti-government people involved with Free Keene, who could be dedicating themselves to combating the state in productive ways, or to becoming independent of the state, they are being incarcerated, or fined, or tracked, and can no longer form cooperative ties with the community of Keene due to the negativity surrounding FreeKeene.

Free Keene isn't about creating a voluntary society, its about manufacturing events which are broadcast through media to encourage more people to move to Keene. When you realize this then spectacles like this Live Free or Dance and the ensuing drama will make sense.

Julia, words evolve. It's a perfect, anarchic process, in which individuals start using a word in a certain way and, if enough other individuals start doing it, it cascades and a large segment of the society does, as well.

But you'd prefer to tell others how they must live their lives, and even what they must think when they hear a certain word, eh?

Looks like the yelling and swearing is catching up to some activists in Keene. You guys better have a meeting on how to cut the nastiness out of your message, or you'll be run off for sure.

I get mad when my wife yells in my ear. Imagine how all these people must feel when they are being yelled at or toward. Are cops bad? Sure. Are cops doing bad things? Without question. Is yelling cusswords and shouting in bullhorns going to calm them down?

Um, no.

I think I have waxed poetic over this on here before, and it looks like the calmer heads in the room are NOT prevailing.

I address you as a group, feel free to dissent individually. You guys need to calm the fuck down and stop yelling and swearing at people. Even I have largely mastered this over the last several years.

One of your potentially greatest allies, tKoK, is tired of your shit. Time for a new game plan, folks

TO: Julia: To answer your question, above, this is what I think / believe: Most folks in Keene either don't know, or really care, about "FreeKeene", or the FSP, and think they are the same thing...But, an increasingly large percentage of Keene folks *HATE* the "FREEWEENIES"...I haven't seen any evidence of it here, but, I was there Friday night. After all the cops finally left, the "Freeweenies" were *STILL* trying to provoke and instigate trouble...So, the "juggalos" *RAN*OFF* the "freeweenies"...Yes, the "juggalos"&rednecks&some.locals, KICKED*OUT the "freeweenies"...And, yes, that guy "Derrick" was an annoying little shit-twerp to the cops, and, he was only arrested because he wouldn't shut up, and, he actually did interfere w/the cops, at one point...This shit has got out of hand, folks. Right now, I gone over to the dark side....FUCK*FREE*KEENE*, and *FUCK*the*FREEWEENIES*, and FUCK*the*FSP*...I will defend my home. Keene is my home. How may I be of service, Mr. Meola???...~tKoK.

You don't know how many (non-government) jobs would have been lost if taxes had to be raised to keep the government jobs. Those are a lot more difficult to measure. How many retail jobs in Salem and Nashua would be lost if NH enacted a sales tax? How many businesses would have to close or downsize if the business tax was raised?

"The FSP could easily pull a “Plan Dalet”"

Are you seriously comparing the FSP to the Israeli takeover of Palestine? Really?

The political-minded freestaters are working within the system, using NH rules, getting elected by NH voters.

If public education were to end, the cost of education would plummet. Just look at how much the cost of college has increased in the last 30 years, as the government gets more and more involved.

And you might be surprised at the capacity for private charity, which is greatly hurt by government handouts (people don't like to give money to something that's supposed to be already paid for with taxes).

The FSP could easily pull a “Plan Dalet”; not with guns and militias like the zionists did but simply by cutting all state-supported services (like public education, for example) to the point where the natives whom depended on those services would *have* to leave or else go without.

This does not sound like a terrible idea. Why do you oppose it? An alternative to force-based monopolistic 'municipal' services?

It sounds like a very humane idea to me. It sounds like neighbors would really have to connect with one another, to ensure that their needs and those of their children are met, doesn't it?

There would be no gun forcing money into the hands of an elected 'board' or whatever one now has, and spending it with little worry of being overtaken by competitors, because there are NO REFUNDS.

No, parents would find the best education they could afford, or even provide it themselves.

Scary stuff for socialists. Decentralizing learning. Truly individualizing it. The capacity for success would be off the charts, with individual interests and individual learning capacities at a premium in more intimate educational settings. An end to the sheepherding of children.